Gas-propelled torpedo.



I. N. LEWIS.

@As PROPELLBD TnPEDo.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 29, 1908.

Patented Sept. 7, 1909.

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3u ucufoz vertical tranfexersc section taken in the il in lire'. E); ["igL-B V section of the l wood` as indicated at.

PATENT orrion.

ISAAC N. LEWIS, OF THE UNITED STATES ARMY.

GAS-PRGPELLED TORPEDO.

Specifica-tion of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 7, 1909.

applicants ala February 2s, 190s. serial No. 418,550.

To all whom it may concern.:

Bc it known that l'. 'Isaac X. LEWIS, of the l'nited States Army, a citizen of the United States, and stationed at Fortress Monroe, county of Elizabeth City, and State ot Virginia, have invented ait-new and useful Imi provement in t'ias-lropelled Torpedoes. of which the following is a Spccitication.

rthis invention relatrs to the class' of torpedoes known :u locomotive torpedoes and tmrticularly to the propolnion thereof liygas.

)ne object ot' the invention ir; the forma2 tion of the propelling' gas in the `torpedo itself and the direct application thereof to the motor.

Another object is the adaptntion'eto the torpedo of the apparatus for the production of the motive agent' in such a manner. with relation to the cartridge or charge ofl high explosive. that the latter ma)` be readily and certainly explosion will be most et'lecti\'c.

Still another object is the propnlon o1' the torpedo bythe jetting act-ion of the gas formed upon tlie'torpedo and consequently the production of a jet nozzle ot' a construction Such as nill be heat adapted for the purpose. i

lVith theseobjerts in view, the invention consiste in the tructnre of parte and in their combination-for the specitied purpose substantially as'lierein 4et torth and claimed.

In the ucconipain'ingf drawings. forming' a -art oftliis specitieatiou, 1n side. elevation. the improved torpedo and indicates in dotted lines the manner in which it places its cartridge forccxplosion against the side of a liattle.-liip; tf`ig l reprcaents a plane `indic'rated by the line 2f shows a longitudinal medial :placed lh the position where' its torpedo: and Fie'. vl is a longitudinal medial Section ol the Ip-t propeller' on an enlarged L scale.

'lhe buoyant member olithc torpedo may be a [lont of any aort. but preferablyv one of i 'l`o theundersidc of this [lont a tube as (i muy he attached which shall contain the ,greater portion of the 0perating;` mechaniem und which :"bnll receive at its't'oruard end the hase ot the cartridge i illustrated at T. the nose of the cartridge beine' held in place o v the piroicd cat( h b' provided with a trip arm El; The Viet propeller is preferably loi-at l. onder the fornard porl'lOli of lli torpedo Hlitl ls itttllcnteil Lit lll.

The permanent gas constituting the motive agent for driving the torpedo may be derived from the combnetion of any suitable ,i

tiuid hydrocarbon, thc more volatile kinds being best muted tor tlm; pnrponc.l Stich, as gasolene, alcohol and denatured alcohol or acetylene fue. The apparatus illustrated is deslgned or the utilization of the. liquid h vdror-.arbons and consists in part oi' a cylinder which univ be located within theV tube t3, which"c vlindcr i5 divided hy :i transvermrY partition ll into the hydrocarbon tank l2 and compressed ai; reecrvoir i3. llntering the tube t near its forward end, preferably in a vertical direction, is the combustion chamber 14. within which is located a vaporivfing or gasifying coil 15, one end of which is connected to tank 1:2 tlirogh a pipe controlled` bv key-o )erating cock to. r-rt the other-end of coil l is'the injector nozzle forming part of the injector tf located in the end of the colnlmstioi'i chamber. The coil 15 may be protected by a cylinder of refractory lnaterlal, as indicated, in order to Yprotect it from the exceesive temperatures ofthe forming gas. A' :suitable working pressure for the compressed air in reservoir t3 is: t5() poundl and troni this :i constant working4 presnre. oi" 100 pounds ma)- heinaintanicd in thc tank 12 through the cuiplovnient olf any euitablc pressurel regulating device. indicated nt 1S. :i key-controlled cock ttl being placed in the coni tion between raid tank :2nd reaervoir. The tank and reservoir may be. tilted reqiectirelv through the inleh .ltl and 2l. rl`he initial heating ol' the vaporli/ing` or gaait'ying coil ma) be eti'ccted by alcohol entered into the combustion chaluher throu rh the air `"ecdin} lr space of the injector. will injector being so constructed und 'designed that the inrueli of' hydrocarbon shall lcanl into the combustion chamber from six to eight times its hulk of atmospheric uir. ThiI mixture may miitablc ignition device` preferably an electric igniter as typiiiednt current tor which muy hc supplied b v a dry cell located as indicated at 23.

The. permanent gne vformed in the combotion chamber may `bc led tot a propeller bt' un)v suitableform. but pi'efe1'abl' v;to a jetpropeller. which may be of any apprfnn-iate design. The form ot' the jet propeller pre ferrecl is that indicated in Fig. 4;- lt eon niet# of a steel tube il lined with it hard refructonyv aulmtanee 2 auch as porcelain and he initiull)` lighted bv any its interior diameter preferably tapers gradually from the inlet to the outlet of the nozzle and in accordance with that curve of expension, which shall take best advantage of the development of velocity due to decrease in density of the highly heated as issuing through the nozzle. This nozz e may be connected in any suitable way with the combustion chamber 14, but is preferably so connected through a contracting nipple' 26, which delivers the gas into the throat of the nozzle. To take advantage of this highly heated gas to increase the ower of the pro elling agent, water' may e entered at the Vorward end of the propeller nozzle,` as through inlet 27. 'ater thusentering and passing to the chamber 28 will on its passage from said chamber, through the throat of the nozzle about the tip of the nipple 26, be seperated by the hot gas and the mixture thus formed will issue from the nozzle at high velocity and will strike with great energy against the water in the rear. lVith an apparatus thus constructed the cartridge may be placed as indicated at theextreme forward end of the tor edo and thereby be 1n a position for ready elivery and effectual A location-against the object attacked. Various modes of holding and releasing the cartridge maybe devised, but the one illustrated is simple and elective. The cartridge is preferably of the same diameter as the tube 6 and is suiiicientl reduced at its base to enter the end of sai tube. Its nose is provided with a recess to receive the lug of catch 8, which holds its forward end in position until the trip 9 strikes the object aimed at. If this object be a battle-Shi a portion of whose side is indicated at 29, `i 1, the striking of trip 9 against the same w1 l release the catch 8 from the cartridge, allowing the latter to drop from the torpedo, to the nose Aof which its base is attached by a cable, as indicatedA at 30, and as thecartridge, through its inertia, advances through the Water, it will bring u against the battleship below the armor p ate and there ex plode with reat execution. The explosion of the cartridge may be effected in any of v the well known Wa s, as for instance, by means of an automat-1c, weight operated, percussion primer, which may be set oii' at the instant the cartridge brings u with a jerk at the end of the cable 30, or y an electric primer.

This torpedo may be handled iu the samel manner as any locomotive torpedo. It may be directed from a vessel or from a row boat or from shore, or it may be provided with any suitable steering and controlling apparatus, automatic or otherwise, and the gas generated 4thereon may .be utilized in controlling a's well as in propelling. To start the torpedo, air from reservoir 13 may be turned on to the hydrocarbon tank by a key applied to cock 19 and the hydrocarbon turned into. coil 15 by a key applied to cock 16. Then by the injection of a little alcohol into chamber `14, and the ignition thereof, the h drocarbon in the coil may be vaporized and7 upon opening the nozzle of the inj ector the vaporized or gasied hydrocarbon from the coll will be injected into the combustion chamber where it and the air led in thereby will be lighted by the igniter22, and will issue though'the nozzle 10 and drive the torpedo forward. l Then as the trip 9 strikes the objectV aimed 4at the cartridge will be released and exploded as above described. The gases composing the motive fluid being all permanent gases do n'ot condense when mixed with water,.whi1e the water itself is atomized rather than vaporized by the action of the high velocity hot gases in the minute time interval required to pass through the propeller nozzle. The resultant action is a reactive thrust of great driving power. The' length of. cable 30, which may be re ated as desired, determines the depth below the water 'surface of the cartridge 7 at the moment of explosion or detontion. y

The `vention claimed is 1. Iii a torpedo, the combination with a suitable jloat o r buoyant body, of a jet ropeller therefor, a 'reservoir `of Huid hy rocarbon fuel carried by the float, an injecting device connectedto'said reservoir and constructed to lead the fuel into the combustion chamber and to supply from the atmosphere at normal pressure the air needed for combastion, means for gasifying or vaporizing the fuel before reaching the injecting device, a devicewithin the combustion chamber for initially igniting the adinixture of air and fuel, and means yfor continuously supplying the hi hly heated products of combustion direc y to said propeller.

2. In a torpedo, the combination with a suitable float or buoyant body, of a jet propulsion device therefor adapted for operation by a permanent as, of a combustion chamber carif'redby sai float, a reservoir of fluid hydr arbon fuel under pressure, an injector Wit 'free communication to atmospheric air, means for vaporizing or gasify ing said fuel and heatin it to a hi h temperature, means for de ivering `said fuel without other admixture of air directly to the injector, and a devicefor initially iguiting the mixture of air and fue1`in the combustion chamber.

3. ln a torpedo, the combination with means for supplyin a motive agent at a high temperature, o a jet propulslon nozzle gradually increasing in interior diameter and prolonged to take full advantage of the increase in velocity due to the expansion of the motive agent in its traverse of the nozzle, said nozz e having a lining of refractory Withthe object against which the torpedo 1s directed.

materi of considerable thickness at the inlet of he nozzle and gradually decreasing tdWard the outlet, for the purose set forth.

4. In a torpedo, the, com ination with means for supplyin a motive agent at a high temperature, o a jet ropulslon nozle located beneath the body oi? the torpedo and having-tsI forward end pointed and having a chanber in that end and `,radually increasing in interior diameter from said chamber toward its outlet anrtharing an inlet for Water Vthrough saidpointed end whereby the water maybeasperated by the heated gas and add striking force to the mixture as it'leaves the nozzle.

5. In a torpedo, the combination with a ioat, of a casing secured to the underside thereof, a propeller attached to said casing, means within the 'casing for supplying to the propeller the motive agent, the cartridge located in advance of the Casin-0j, and means for automatically releasing tIie cartridge when the torpedo has reached its destinati n.

6. InV a torpedo, the combination Wit float, of a casing secured to the underside thereof and containing the motive means, a cartridge held at its rear end `by the casing and at its forward end by a releasing device,

and a trip for said releasing device'projecting forward of the float for engagement 7. A tornefllsist'ing of aftoat, a tube a .secured to the underside thereof for containing the motive means, and a cartridge of conoid 'torni havin its base sup orted in the .forward end o the tube and) its nose held by a releasing device at the forward end of the float.

8f ln a torpedo, ythe combination with a lioat, of a casin secured to the underside thereof, a propel er attached to said casing,

means within the casing for supplying to the propeller the'motire a ent, said means consisting of a reservoir or hydrocarbon fluid, a compressed air reservoir, means 'for subjecting the hydrocarbon in said reservoir to the pressure of said air, a combustion chamber, and means for leading the hydrocarbon into it and for simultaneously leading in air at ordinary pressure, the cartridge located in advance of the `casin and means for automatically releasin t e cartridge when the' torpedo has rearA ed itsdestination. A 9. The combination with the oat, of the air reservoir and hydrocarbon tank carried along its underside, the combustion chamber extending vertically up through the float, and the propulsion nozzle below the combastion chamber and 'directly connected thereto. ,L

ISAAC N. LEWIS. V'vVitnesses R. C. W1NNE,

H.' H. Kin/IBERIA'. 

